2020, Vol., No.50

The Journal of Chinese Cultural Studies 2023 KCI Impact Factor : 0.44

pISSN : 1598-8503 / eISSN : 2714-0067
https://journal.kci.go.kr/cccs

Currently, China under the rule of Xi Jinping becomes a topic of conversation in the whole world. However, the world does not have a ‘textbook’ that could clearly explain the existential situation of this country yet. Moreover, it does not have the height of perspective that could evaluate if it would be right for the whole world to ‘demonize’ China like this. Then, what is the ‘rational technique’ that could fully ‘understand’ and ‘explain’ China as a subject of studies? Is there something like that in reality? This thesis that inquires the effective methods to study China, starts from a critical mind aiming to find a pathway for this question. For this, this thesis requests Wen Tie-jun as a model example. He is a Chinese agricultural economist and also an expert in rural problems. Moreover, he is a field activist. Going around the fields of ecological movement, rural community reconstruction movement, and community supported agriculture, he is currently conducting various experiments by thinking about the future direction of Chinese society. There are three kinds of grounds for requesting Wen Tie-jun as a method. First, he presents the frame of macroscopic political economy that could prospect the ‘experiences of China’ for about 70 years. Second, through this, it is possible to read the dynamics of the world history from the cold war system to the ‘new cold war’ order. Third, he presents the outline of a new frame that is different from the existing nation-state frame, regarding the future direction of China.

Fiction is originated from the desire to recreate the world already exist, but also is originated from the will to create the desired world. The latter is the essence of fiction, rather than the former, and XianJing(仙境) of storys of Immortals is the time and space that the author reflects the universal dream of humans, including himself. The XianJing in the works of 『LieXianZhuan』are analyzed. There were 24 out of 70 works related to the XianJing. As a result of analyzing of the XianJing, it was not only in the Heaven, mountains, and islands, but also in river and secular worlds: there are 15 works of XianJing in the heaven, 2 works in mountain, 2 work in underwater islands, 3 works in river, and 2 works in secular world. According to the figure, the era of 『LieXianZhuan』 was when the XianJing in the heaven are yearned. It was possible to derive the basic system of XianJing from “HanZi(邗子)”, the only work that embodies the XianJing. First, while the XianJing and the secular world are in different dimension, secular people can enter the XianJing through extraordinary paths or by sacred animals(靈物). Second, the structure of XianJing is analogous to a secular palace and there are a secular-like daily life. There are hierarchies and duties of a post to the immortals living in the XianJing. Third, the secular world is a time and space that bad fortune and diseases occur, while the XianJing is an intact space and time without them. Fourth, the immortal living in XianJing are concerned about secular people’s lives and have affection to secular people. The immortal tries to save people from suffering. Fifth, the superior immortal of XianJing assigns messengers or sacred animals(靈物) that embody their will. The messengers and sacred animals(靈物) grow up in the secular world. Sixth, those who contribute to the communication between the secular world and the XianJing and propagate the immortal’s will to secular people can become the immortal.Seventh, the new immortals also attempt to save secular people from sufferings like the existing immortals, and the secular people honor the benefits. The second feature is noted. Although the XianJing is the time and space inhabited by the immortals, it was not a world different from the feudal secular world at the time. However, Max Weber’s “moniabüro-kratie(家産官僚制)” is reflected in the system. The values implied in the system were explored. From a consistent perspective that the 'immortals' are ‘human sublimation', the 'sacred Animals(靈物)' are 'animal sublimation', and the ' XianJing in 『LieXianZhuan(列仙傳)』' is 'secular world sublimation', it is examined that the sufferings in the secular world that anonymous immortals residing in the XianJing and the immortals returned to the secular world from the XianJing attempted to overcome. The values are categorized as eight criteria: farming without trouble, family love, justice in power, prevention of natural disasters, disease treatment, purification of mind, promotion of public wealth, and propagation of the immortals’ will. These values are the concrete values within the system that have been omitted from the XianJing of "LieXianZhuan". The values the immortals want to realize in the secular world are what they wished for before they became a immortals, and the realization of that ideal is 'sublimation of the secular world'. The 'sublimation of the secular world' is the ultimate wish of the immortals. The system of Xianjing is different from an existing utopia type: Millenium, Utopia, Arcadia. Such XianJing in『LieXianZhuan(列仙傳)』 should be evaluated in the circumstances of the time it published. Considering the Warring States period, when people suffered from war and disease, hunger and natural disasters, and the tyranny of power, the realization of the values would be difficult, and if the values realized, it would be an ideal society in which the ideal was embodied, namely, the XianJing in 『LieXianZhuan(列仙傳)』. All in all, the XianJing of 『LieXianZhuan(列仙傳)』 was an idea that enabled readers to awaken reality and provide a vision for improvement, and an energy for a better society.

There is such a utopian thought in Chinese culture that dreams of a better world. It is the social thought of Datong. Due to the difference in thinking between the East and the West, the Chinese people use the "Datong Society" thought more to find a solution to the realistic contradictions. At the same time, they try to use this set of theories as a guide for action to overthrow the real society and free the people from the hunger and cold and jointly establish an equal and ideal social system. For thousands of years, the Chinese have long referred to "Datong society" as the ideal of an ideal country and a better world. This kind of thinking is always reflected in the works of literati, so this paper sorts out the Datong social thoughts in ancient Chinese novels and classifies them according to their characteristics. Under the guidance of the Datong Social Thought with different emphases, in the novel also has three completely different forms of expression: a paradise with a small country and few people, a society that pursues "the highest virtue" and "the best", and a strange and fantasy fairyland blessed land. The three can be regarded as three different literary creation techniques, both true and illusion, relative reality, and unconstrained. From the origin and development of "Datong Social Thought" to the end of literature to novels, it follows an invisible clue from the fantasy of Datong society, to the experience of specific implementation plans, and finally to practice. It also contains literati romanticism thought. Although many of the fantasy of the beautiful world in the novel seems difficult to realize from the current perspective, it still does not prevent it from becoming the driving force for the progress of human society.